Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-4000 8GB Review

Generally speaking, we only review memory kits that are somehow special since so many kits are basically clones of one another when it comes to specs. It really takes something special for a memory kit to catch our attention, be it due to their speed, capacity, or some other unique attribute. Today, we have one such product, and we've been teasing you with it in our last few reviews since it is pretty cool.

How so? Well we entered 2015 with DDR4 memory kits that had just reached DDR4-3000 and we are closing out the year with an exclusive review of the first commercially available kit that is clocked at an incredible DDR4-4000 / PC4-32000. We will be reviewing the enthusiast-oriented Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-4000 8GB model, otherwise known as the CMK8GX4M2B4000C19R. This 2 x4 GB kit features a DDR4-4000 clock speed with 19-23-23-45 timings at 1.35V. The R at the end of the model number stands for red, which is the colour of the heatspreaders, and if that is not appealing to you there is a similar model available in black. As this is a very highly clocked enthusiast memory kit, this model comes bundled with the Corsair Vengeance Airflow Fan accessory that should help keep the modules cool under load, and the included replaceable accent covers will allow you to tailor them to your system's colour scheme.

Since DDR4 prices have come crashing down throughout all of 2015, this unique enthusiast model retails for 'just' $260 USD/$340 CAD, which is the same as the Vengeance LPX DDR4-2666 16GB kit that we reviewed back in January. To put that into further perspective, the Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4-3400 16GB model that we reviewed back in April - which was the fastest DDR4 kit on the market at that time - retailed for $1000 USD.

So it's pretty clear that the DDR4 market is progressing at a lightning pace, but what does this mean to consumers? Can Skylake processors handle such high memory speeds? How about the motherboards? And what kind of performance can you expect from the fastest memory kit on the planet? The answers to those questions are what we are here to find out.